Rumors Spread

In the days following the incident in Greg's room, the atmosphere in the Davis household seemed to shift. The walls seemed to whisper with the weight of secrets, and the servants' eyes followed Lily as she went about her duties, their glances filled with curiosity and speculation.

It was a Thursday afternoon when Mrs. Owen approached Lily in the kitchen, her expression grave.

"Lily, my dear, there's been some talk about you and Mr. Davis," she began, her voice quiet but urgent.

Lily's heart raced as she listened.

"I've heard whispers about you and Mr. Davis from some of the other staff," Mrs. Owen continued, her eyes fixed on Lily's face. "They say you've been spending an unusual amount of time in his room. Are you aware of these rumors, dear?"

Lily's face flushed with embarrassment. "I-I'm aware of the rumors, Mrs. Owen," she stammered, her voice faltering. "But I assure you, they're not true. The incident in Mr. Davis' room was an accident, nothing more."

Mrs. Owen nodded, her expression thoughtful.

As Mrs. Owen contemplated Lily's words, the sound of a sharp clap echoed through the kitchen, drawing both women's attention. There, standing in the doorway, was Cherry, her face a mask of disdain and anger. She wore a luxurious golden gown that hugged her frame, and her makeup was as bold and dramatic as ever.

"Well, well, Lily," Cherry said, her voice dripping with venom. "So we've graduated to visiting Mr. Davis in his room now, have we?"

Lily's face flushed, her mind racing to find a way to defend herself.

"I-I'm not sure what you mean," Lily stammered, her eyes darting from Cherry to Mrs. Owen. "I-I told you, it was an accident."

"An accident?" Cherry spat, her lips curling into a sneer. "Do you take me for a fool, Lily? You think I don't know what's going on in this house? You think you can just waltz in here, all sweet and innocent, and worm your way into Greg's heart?"

As Lily turned to leave, a deep sigh escaped her lips, her shoulders slumped in defeat. But as she walked out of the kitchen, Cherry let out a shriek of rage, her fists colliding with the marble countertop with a force that left her knuckles white and aching.

"Lily, you little snake!" she screamed, her voice shrill and piercing. "You're going to pay for what you've done!"

With that, Cherry stormed out of the kitchen, her feet thundering on the marble floor as she chased after Lily into the foyer.

In a fit of blind fury, Cherry caught up to Lily, her hand shooting out to seize a handful of Lily's hair. Lily yelped in pain as Cherry yanked her head back, her fingers digging into the tender scalp.

"You think you can just come here and steal my life away from me?" Cherry hissed, her breath hot against Lily's ear. "You think you're better than me? Better than me?!"

Lily whimpered, her eyes watering with pain and fear as she struggled to free herself from Cherry's grip.

As Mrs. Owen hurried into the foyer, her face pale with concern, she threw herself between the two women, her hands flying up to pry Cherry's fingers from Lily's hair.

"Miss Cherry, please!" she pleaded, her voice shaking with the strain of trying to keep the enraged Cherry at bay. "This is not the way to solve things! Please, Miss Lily is in pain!"

But Cherry was beyond reason, her face contorted with rage as she continued to pull at Lily's hair.

Just as Lily's tears began to fall, mixing with the strands of hair being torn from her scalp, Greg strode into the foyer, his face a mask of shock and anger.

"What in blazes is going on here?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes darted from Cherry, her face twisted in fury, to Lily, her body crumpled in agony, and finally to Mrs. Owen, her hands still pressed against Cherry's.

Greg's fury was palpable, his voice rumbling with the rage of a thunderstorm as he bellowed out Cherry's name.

"Cherry!" he roared, his eyes flashing with anger. "Is this how a lady of your standing behaves? Attacking another woman like a common street fighter? Have you no shame?"

Cherry shrank back, her eyes darting to the floor as she shrank beneath the weight of Greg's disappointment. But Lily, her hair a tangled mess of pain, her tears still streaming, clutched her head, her body shaking with sobs.

Cherry, her face twisted with anger, turned to Greg, her voice bitter and harsh.

"Anyone who dares to take what's mine will suffer the consequences," she spat, her eyes narrowed in defiance. "I won't stand by and watch some low-born maid steal my place!"

But Greg, his patience worn thin by Cherry's behavior, growled in frustration.

"Get out!" he thundered, the force of his words echoing through the foyer.

The shock was palpable on Cherry's face as Greg turned his back on her, his anger palpable in every word he spoke.

"I don't want to see you in this mansion ever again," he growled, his voice ringing with the finality of his decision. "You are no longer welcome here."

Cherry, her face pale with disbelief, stumbled forward, reaching out to grasp Greg's arm. But he brushed her off with a swift, violent motion.

"Don't touch me!" he barked, his eyes flashing with disgust.

With a bitter smile of malice on her face, Cherry took one last, long look at Lily, her eyes blazing with venomous hate.

"You haven't seen anything yet, you miserable gold digger," she hissed, her voice a thin, sneering whisper. "This isn't over. You're going to pay for what you've done. Just you wait and see."

With those final words, Cherry turned on her heel and stormed out of the mansion, her footfalls echoing through the foyer with a clatter of angry, echoing footsteps.

As Cherry slid behind the wheel of her car, the weight of her defeat and humiliation threatened to overwhelm her. Tears of anger and frustration welled in her eyes, but she fought them back with all the strength she could muster.

"How could he do this to me?" she whispered to herself, her voice thick with emotion. "I was there for him when he was heartbroken over Theresa. I stood by his side, comforted him, cared for him. And now he just throws me away like yesterday's trash?"

With a sigh, Cherry leaned her head against the cool, leather seat, her mind swirling with a mix of rage and confusion.

But just as the darkness of despair threatened to envelop her, a glint of determination appeared in her eyes. A malicious grin spread across her face, and she straightened in her seat, her voice a low, determined whisper.

"Oh, Lily, you think you've won?" she murmured, her eyes narrowing with resolve.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of. And you haven't seen the last of me.

With that, Cherry started the car and peeled out of the driveway, leaving a trail of dust and gravel in her wake. The sleek, black vehicle ate up the miles as she drove, her mind focused on a single, singular purpose: revenge.

"You may think you've got him now, Lily," she muttered to herself, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel. "But I'll show you that you can't compete with a woman like me.